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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23869642">'Cause I'm Your Pilot Anywhere!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeyandjam/pseuds/wrenlans'>wrenlans (honeyandjam)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band), SuperM (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, LuJae - Freeform, M/M, Miscommunication, Music, Soulmates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:55:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23869642</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeyandjam/pseuds/wrenlans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Oooooohhhhhh, Enemies to lovers!” Mark gushes, wide eyes sparkling eagerly at his best friend’s love life. </p><p>Lucas snorts. “Not even though, we’re literally just strangers with different opinions on stuff!” </p><p>“But still to lovers right?” Mark waggles his eyebrows.</p><p>(A soulmate AU where you always hear the music your soulmate is listening to, and Lucas has Frank Ocean and Lauv on repeat in his head)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Mark Lee &amp; Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>141</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22957795">Got the Music in You Baby (Tell Me Why)</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account">orphan_account</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The title is from 'Galaxy' by Bolbbalgan4, give it a listen while you read! 😄</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“WE LOVE THE EARTHHHHhhhhhhh” Lucas belts, button-mashing the ever-loving Christ out of Mark’s joycons. </p><p>“Dude, please. I legit think you’re gonna snap my controllers.” Mark says, furrowing his brows. </p><p>“Bro it’s fine, I know my strength.” Lucas replies, flexing his biceps for good measure. </p><p>“Well don’t come crying to me when you break them, or when you get your ass kicked by my final SMASH!” Mark yells, unleashing PK Starstorm on Lucas’s Little Mac. </p><p>Lucas groans, “Aw man! That was a dog move.” He slumps down into Mark’s couch, the 'Ness Wins!' echoing in the background and adding further insult to injury.</p><p>“You snooze, you lose.” Mark giggles, stretching his arms out in front of him. Lucas rolls his eyes and lets the Lil Dicky wash over him. </p><p>“You really like Lil Dicky huh?” Mark comments as he randomly clicks around on the controllers. </p><p>“Yeah, he’s just so wild and stupid, it’s so funny.” </p><p>“Really relating to his small dick problems?” Mark laughs. </p><p>“Ha. Ha. Ha.” Lucas kicks him in the shins. He missed this, missed dicking around with Mark before and after school. Just being able to hang with Mark, no college or trade school getting in the way, was heaven. Speaking of college….</p><p>“So how’s the virgin life?” Lucas gleefully grins. </p><p>Mark splutters at that, turning red in the face. </p><p>“I—What---Virgin!-“</p><p>“Isn’t that what they call engineering kids in your college?” Lucas laughs. </p><p>“That is a false rumour and stereotype and like- Anyway just because I’m doing engineering doesn’t mean-----I’m holding out for my soulmate anyway, so that doesn’t even apply to me.” Mark huffs, hands fiddling around even harder with the joycon. Pfft, and he’s worried about Lucas breaking it?</p><p>Lucas pauses his music, “You’re still hung up on the soulmate thing?” </p><p>“I’m so close I swear, I legitimately think we live in the same region!” Mark starts to sit up, eyes wide and tone excited. </p><p>“You know, I was playing the radio while driving, then ‘Dance Monkey’ came on, so of course I had to turn it off. As soon as I did, I heard it playing in my head, exactly from where I stopped it!” Mark turns his wide eyes to Lucas. “They’ve gotta be at least in the same county!” </p><p>Lucas hums. Add that to the list of things that haven’t changed about Mark. Still holding out for his soulmate. It’s not like Lucas isn’t interested in who the person at the other end of his red string is, but he’s certainly not gonna let that get in the way of his hot boy summers, unlike sweet, pure Mark, determined to give his everything to his soulmate. Lmao! What a virg. </p><p>Lucas would be lying if he said he hasn't already 'been around the block'. Multiple times. It’s not like a lot of people even meet their soulmate, let alone end up in a relationship with them. And he’s perfectly fine with that. All he even really knows about his soulmate is that they’re probably around the same age and they probably live in the same time zones. He remembers hearing the same sesame street jingles, the same top 50 songs during primary school, the same corny middle school dance songs e.g. YMCA and Macarena echoing through his head. But alas, (unless you were really lucky) no two soulmates had the exact same music taste, and he and his soulmate could not be further from each other. </p><p>“Ugh” Lucas knocks on his head. </p><p>“What’s wrong?” </p><p>“My soulmate’s playing sad boy shit again.” Lucas rolls his eyes. </p><p>“Like…?” </p><p>“Hmmmmm, I think it’s….. Nikes?” </p><p>“By Frank Ocean? C’mon man, that’s pretty good.” Mark pouts. </p><p>“Yeah, I’m not knocking it, it’s just,” Lucas sighs “It’s so…. emo man. Like if I wanted to listen to emo sad boy shit, I’d just date you.”</p><p>Mark punches Lucas in the arm. It was truly funny to know that even after these few months apart, Mark was still just as easy to rile up. </p><p>“My music isn’t even that emo.” He grumbles as Lucas rolls around the couch, laughing and clinging to Mark until Mark forcefully pushes him over and smacks him with the couch cushions. Lucas kicks out and hears a loud *thud*. They both freeze, terrified and hope to God that whatever they knocked over wasn’t anything valuable, lest they incur the wrath of Mark’s mom. </p><p>“Oh phew, it was just a book.” Lucas sighs, flopping back on the couch. </p><p>“Phew my butt!  Just be glad it wasn’t any glass or fragile stuff.” </p><p>Lucas suddenly sits up and snaps his fingers. “That reminds me! We got a new guy at the library!” </p><p>Mark stops his pouting to face Lucas. “I still can’t believe you-” He gestures up and down, “work at the library.” </p><p>“Whadaya mean!” Lucas puffs his chest out, “I’m literally the poster boy for reading and shit!” </p><p>If Lucas is being honest, even he still can’t believe he’s working there. He would be lying if he said he was a scholar, but that literally has nothing to do with helping out at a library ok! The atmosphere is nice and quiet and the smell of books, new and old, is just so satisfying and calming. Lucas wishes he had more time to actually read the books there, but it’s already more than enough, just being surrounded by them.</p><p>“Anyway, his name is Jaehyun, but his name tag is ‘Jay’ because, and I quote,” Lucas dives deep into his brain to remember, putting up giant air quotes for dramatic effect, “I don’t want to hear the Karens and Stewarts butcher my name for the billionth time.” </p><p>“Yeah, can’t we all relate…” Mark nods sagely. “Well, what’s he like?” </p><p>Lucas closes his eyes. It hasn’t been very long since Jaehyun joined their library staff, but Lucas has already spent a long time thinking about the guy. Like one of those shiny metal puzzles or a really confusing riddle, Jaehyun has been a real enigma for Lucas. After a very long pause of stroking his non-existent beard, he finally manages to gather some of his many thoughts on Jaehyun. </p><p>“He…He looks kinda sickly….but in a romantic way? Like you know impressionist paintings? Monet? He looks like he lives in those paintings! His hair is really messy but in a really artsy way.” As soon as Lucas starts talking about Jaehyun, he viscerally feels himself getting worked up. His eyes get wider and he starts madly waving his hands around. </p><p>“It’s crazy! He’s almost as tall as me, but he looks so…so…soft? His face, it’s like, he’s always blushing or something and he’s got a whole field of freckles all across here” Lucas traces a path from right cheek over his nose, to his left cheek. “He’s just really…”</p><p>“Ooooohhhh, sounds like you like him~” Mark giggles, nudging Lucas right in his ribs and now his ribs and heart both kinda throb. </p><p>He flails his arms even more. “No dude, it’s not like that! He’s beautiful, but like a work of art. I really like looking at him, but not in a “damn he’s hot” way.” Mark’s almost taken out by the frenzied swinging of arms. </p><p>"It’s not like you wanna make out with the Mona Lisa right?” Lucas stammers exasperatedly. </p><p>“Okay, moving on… What’s his personality like?” Mark tries his best to keep a straight face, but Lucas can see Mark his mouth contorting and wriggling like a pair of damn worms. He knows Mark isn’t gonna let him live this down. Ugh, can they go back to when Mark was the one being dunked on?</p><p>“Ummmm, idk man, we don’t really talk. Y’know, in a library and all.” Lucas pauses thoughtfully. “He’s pretty weird and mysterious tbh, I don’t know anything about him. But he’s nice and stuff, he helps me carry books and things, even though I clearly don’t need it.” He flexes his biceps and Mark rolls his eyes, gesturing for him to continue.</p><p>“That’s literally it! I know basically nothing about the guy!” Lucas laments. </p><p>“Seriously?” Mark raises his dark brows in surprise. </p><p>“Seriously! He gave me his Facebook and nothing! No profile pic, no other images, the whole thing is basically blank! I think he just uses it for messenger.” Lucas sighs. </p><p>It’s not fair! The only conversations they have on there is “Can you take my shift” “Sure” rinse and repeat. Every time Lucas tries to start a convo it always feels so one-sided. He’s the only one initiating and continuing them. It almost feels like he’s simping for Jaehyun, except Lucas doesn’t even want sex, he just wants to be friends! Lucas still can’t tell which is sadder. </p><p>
  <em>~No fair<br/>
You really know how to make me cry<br/>
When you gimme those ocean eyes~</em>
</p><p>“Exactly!” Lucas exclaims, wholeheartedly agreeing with Billie Eilish. It’s not fair, how much he wants to know Jaehyun, and how little it feels like Jaehyun’s giving. He crosses his arms for good measure, ready to be a dramatic bitch about this. </p><p>“What are you talking about?” </p><p>“Huh? Ohhhhh, sorry, my soulmate’s song had some really relatable lyrics…Actually! I wanted to ask someone about this but I kept forgetting about it.” Lucas digs around in the couch cushions for his phone, and ta-dah! He finally pulls out his phone and opens up Spotify. </p><p>“What’s up man?” Mark asks, curiously peering over at Lucas’s screen.</p><p>“My soulmate keeps repeating these 10 tracks, and they’re always in this order. It’s so weird.”</p><p>Lucas shows him the Spotify playlist he complied. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Jack’s Jam - Two Ton Shoe </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Up Late - Ari Lennox</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nikes - Frank Ocean </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Getting Over You - Lauv </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yellow - Coldplay</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ocean eyes - Billie Eilish</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ordinary People - John Legend </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Not Over Yet - Paul Kim </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Only Then - Roy Kim </em>
</p><p>
  <em>HUMBLE. - Kendrick Lamar</em>
</p><p> </p><p>After a few minutes of silently staring at the playlist together, Mark abruptly yells and starts jumping up and down on the couch. His already round eyes widen to unreal widths and his jaw is hanging wide open. </p><p>“Oh my God Oh my God Oh my God! I think I got it, dude! I didn’t know you could do something like this, I so have to try this out!” Mark starts rambling, his voice going softer, but no less excited. He’s buzzing on adrenaline, eyes sparkling with excitement and knees knocking wildly into each other. </p><p>"‘Jung Yoonoh’, that’s not really a lot to go off though, namewis-“ </p><p>“What?” </p><p>“Jung Yoonoh.”</p><p>“What the heck are you talking about?” </p><p>Mark sighs and pulls out a piece of paper, scribbling something down. </p><p>J U N G Y O O N O H. </p><p>“Classic acrostic clue.” He says, waving the paper in Lucas’s face.</p><p>“Damn, you really learn a lot in engineering dude.” </p><p>Mark blinks. “… … Ok, so Jung Yoonoh, well it looks like they're Korean and probably a dude, or at least has Korean heritage.” Mark continues. “Oh damn, that’s actually such a good idea though! It’s nice to know that at least your soulmate’s got some brain cells.” </p><p>“Yeah actually- Hey!” Lucas swats at Mark’s shoulder. </p><p>Mark grabs his own phone, opens Facebook, and searches up ‘jung yoonoh’. They wait with bated breath as the search results load with what seems like a sloth’s energy. When it finally loads, a billion ‘Jung Yoonohs’ show up. All Mark and Lucas can do is just stare at the endless 'jung yoonoh' void.</p><p>“You said he’s probably the same age as you?” </p><p>“Yeah.” </p><p>“Hmm, I mean we could spend all night sifting through all of the Jung Yoonohs if you really want.” Mark shrugs, trying and failing to act calm and casual. </p><p>Lucas takes another look at the piles of results that Zuck has just so generously retrieved for them and his interest plummets down straight past Mark’s living room floor and into the centre of the Earth. </p><p>“Nah, I’ll pass.” </p><p>Mark blinks at him incredulously, mouth moving open and close, just like a fish. Lucas can see why he’s stunned. An entire sign from his soulmate and Lucas is just gonna ignore it like an incoming call from anyone that isn’t his mom. Lucas generally agrees with Mark on everything, except for one thing; soulmates. He’s just not hell-bent on searching for his own. Last time he checked, no one gave a crap about whether you found your soulmate or not. He’s not gonna waste time on something like raking through a gazillion people’s profiles when he could be getting payback on Smash, or working out, or literally a ton of other things that he actually wants to do! He does his best to ignore the searing stare Mark is currently giving the side of his face, and after what seems like forever, Mark relents.</p><p>“Fine, whatever, they're your soulmate, you can go dick around like you usually do. I don’t care.” Mark huffs. Even the weather is siding with Mark, as a particularly loud thunder crack snaps like an angry full stop to Mark’s statement.</p><p>Lucas finally risks a look, and he watches as his best friend, his life long homie of 19 years, slump down into the couch. His high cheekbones, usually making him look like a baby, have now shifted so that he looks like a gaunt ghost. Not even the really scary ones, like in ’Scream’, but like a really sad, Victorian child who probably died of consumption. Lucas squirms next to Mark. </p><p>“…Did someone say KFC.” </p><p>“Fuck you dude.” Mark aggressively pushes up off the couch and lobs Lucas’s jacket at his head. “You better be driving AND shouting.” </p><p>Lucas pouts, but takes the loss, and doesn’t even complain when Mark completely ignores the deals and orders all full price food. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Time!” Lucas gasps out, hurriedly smashing his card into the scanner. Made it and with a minute to spare! Nice going, Lucas! He beams happily, proud of himself, before turning his head and seeing the receptionist disappointingly shaking her head. His grin falters sheepishly as he haphazardly pins his name tag onto his green shirt. Stepping out from the front desk, he doesn’t notice the messy brown head of hair in front of him until it’s too late. </p><p>“Mmmmph- Oh my god, super sorry Jaehyun!” Lucas jumps back to inspect the damage. </p><p>Jaehyun is, by no means, someone you should miss. Standing at a whopping 1.8m and built with some real, solid mass, he seems like someone who should constantly be at the center of everyone’s attention. And yet, 9 times out of 10, Lucas and the rest of the staff usually have a very hard time spotting him. Lucas sometimes feels like he’s staring at the wallpaper whenever he looks at Jaehyun. Albeit a very aesthetic wallpaper but wallpaper nonetheless.</p><p>Jaehyun lightly shakes his head. “It’s alright, I’m fine.” </p><p>Lucas grasps for a way to prolong the conversation.</p><p>“…I like your glasses. They remind me of Harry Potter” Lucas manages to say after what feels like an eternity. </p><p>All Jaehyun does is blink at Lucas through those round glasses. They’re only a few feet apart, but to Lucas, it feels like they’re on opposite sides of the world. It’s enough to make anyone uncomfortable, and Lucas thanks the Lord that Seulgi, their manager, wheels a cartful of returned books to them. Before she can even ask, Lucas’ hands are already on the cart and he's assuring her that he’ll put the books back. Lucas sneaks a peek over his shoulder for Jaehyun, but he’s no longer there. </p><p>Sliding books in, helping out old people, the cycle of Lucas’s work activity loops and loops. He slides in a paperback in the spicy fiction section after staring at the cover a little too long and sticks a hand back in the book cart. He’s so used to the repetition of it all that he feels like he could do this in his sleep. In fact, he already feels himself nodding off. </p><p>So it startles the heck out of Lucas when he gets a light tap on his shoulder. He spins around, and to his surprise, it’s Jaehyun.</p><p>“I need your help with something.”</p><p>“Sure thing! What do you need?” </p><p>He beckons Lucas to follow him, and Lucas finds himself in front of a giant mess. The multimedia (gaming/computer) section is a wasteland. Controllers are lying haphazardly on the ground, wirings are tangled in impossible Gordian knots, and game discs are littered all over the space. Not to mention the piles of actual litter; food and drink and God knows what those stains are and where they came from. Lucas is already getting a headache just from looking at it. Yeah, Jaehyun was definitely right to bring someone over. They share a look and, breathing out a deep sigh at the same time, get to work. </p><p>Lucas tackles the lengthy vines of wires while Jaehyun scours the area for loose game cartridges and discs. They work in silence, and Lucas almost forgets that this is his prime opportunity to talk to Jaehyun. God this is hard. Thinking of how to talk to Jaehyun is as confusing as untangling the wires of the tv and controllers from each other. </p><p>“This is torture.” Jaehyun utters. Lucas is always surprised whenever Jaehyun talks. He says so little that Lucas forgets what he sounds like, so Lucas tries to commit to memory the deep, soothing timbre of Jaehyun’s voice. It’s a 'cup of honey lemon tea on a cold rainy night’ kind of voice. Lucas wishes he could hear more of it. He wouldn’t mind hearing it every day. </p><p>“Yeah, kids these days, can you believe.” Lucas huffs out, only half-joking. He finally undoes a knot and leans back in relief, only to jab his hand against a stray N64 cartridge. Make that one-third joking. </p><p>“I know right, the way things are going, the library might as well just become a…a…. cinema at this point.” Jaehyun’s words almost tumble over each other, and his voice warbles at the end. </p><p>“I hear ya.” Lucas is only half paying attention, still struggling with the rest of the knots. </p><p>“I wish they’d never built this section. What was the point? This place can’t even be considered a library anymore…” </p><p>Lucas turns his head, furrowing his eyebrows. If this is a joke, it’s getting a bit too avant-garde for Lucas. Jaehyun is standing, hackles raised and looking down at the Donkey Kong cartridges with real, genuine mirth. </p><p>“Dude, I think you’re over-exaggerating.” Lucas scoffs. </p><p>Jaehyun scoffs back even harder. “Really? You look around this library and tell me how over-run it is with useless stuff like this.” </p><p>“Useless?” </p><p>“What is making this place any different from a GameStop, or a computer lab, or a blockbuster? I hate the direction this library is going in. The actual backbone of this place, books, are just being tossed to the side. The council just had to go and fuck up a perfectly good place with stupid things like this.” Jaehyun spits out. </p><p>Lucas is, quite frankly, shocked. Who would’ve thought quiet, unassuming Jaehyun over here had such strong feelings about the library, let alone anything in general. Lucas would've found it really amusing if he didn’t feel a massive sting from hearing cool stuff like the library’s N64 and PS2 systems being dragged like this. </p><p>“Jesus man, you know books aren’t the only source of information in the world?” Lucas stands up and unfurls to his full height. “You’re being way too narrow-minded about this.”</p><p>Jaehyun’s normally unreadable eyes have hardened and Lucas kinda regrets what he just said, but he’s already revved up his debating engine. </p><p>“As technology and information gathering techniques evolve and stuff, it’s only natural that a library, a place which gathers collections of information, would also contain said tech.” Lucas steels himself to look straight past Jaehyun’s glasses into defensive hazel eyes and clears his throat. </p><p>“This is all pretty important to like, us as a community y’know? It marks really important progress in how we express ourselves and how we choose to share those kinds of stories and experiences.” Lucas pauses for dramatic effect, and to see Jaehyun's response. It looks like it’s working? Jaehyun’s shoulders have relaxed slightly and his eye lines have softened a bit. </p><p>“Yeah, but, look at the state of things.” Jaehyun dispiritedly gestures around them “Now everyone just uses this place as their personal study space or free gaming centre. How often does this happen? I’ve only been here for a few weeks, and this happens almost every day.”</p><p>“Yeah, well that’s those stupid-ass kid's fault, they’re gonna grow up and learn to not be little shits. It shouldn’t affect the actual contents of the library itself, which includes stuff like this.” Lucas mirrors Jaehyun’s sweeping gesture. </p><p>Jaehyun closes his eyes and sighs deeply. “I just… It’s just a waste you know?” His right hand nervously wraps around his left bicep, picking at nothing in particular. “All these books, and periodicals, and just…” </p><p>“Dude, you say that like we don’t get cartfuls and cartfuls of books that people have borrowed out.” He decides to test the waters and lays a reassuring hand on Jaehyun’s shoulder. “Books are great! They’re important and timeless and will forever be relevant, but it’s not fair to disregard everything else, I mean, people are always gonna enjoy what they want y’know? Everyone should be able to enjoy things in the medium that they like.” Lucas ends with as pleasant a smile he can muster.  </p><p>He feels a dull ache on the side of his forehead. Yikes, he hasn’t had to be this eloquent in ages. He watches as Jaehyun looks down at the GameCube disc in his hand. After a very, very, very long pause, Jaehyun finally speaks. </p><p>“I suppose…you have made a lot of points…” He mutters. </p><p>Lucas barely even catches it. It feels like he’s saying it more to himself than anyone, but it’s enough for Lucas. </p><p>“Yeah! Progress for the win!” He cheers as he goes in for a fist bump and promptly lowers it as he sees Seulgi pop out of thin air. </p><p>“Thanks for the hard work today guys, when you finish up here, you’re free to clock out and go home.” She nods at the pair, and walks on, until she almost heaves over from the force of stopping so suddenly. </p><p>“Also, please be careful out there, the weather forecast is reporting extremely heavy rain, so make sure you can get home safe.” With that, Seulgi leaves, just as suddenly as she came. </p><p>The duo are left to stare at the empty space in front of them, before they remember their bearings and hastily finish tidying up the multimedia section. Lucas and Jaehyun silently get their stuff together and nothing else is said. The whole debate feels like it happened ages ago, or it happened in an alternate dimension. Lucas is already starting to wonder how the hell he was able to talk to him in the first place. He’s still lost in his thoughts when he hears that deep, soft timbre again. </p><p>“Hey, I’m sorry that our first-ever legitimate conversation was basically a middle school debate round.” </p><p>Lucas looks over to see Jaehyun sheepishly rubbing at his neck, hazel eyes darting around like bees, everywhere but Lucas. His ever-present blush blooms all over his pretty, pale face. </p><p>It's devastating. </p><p>Lucas sees the water lilies, he sees San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk, the whole world fades into soft, light blue and oranges, and Jaehyun stands there at the center of it all. His camellia mouth fades into peach-no wait-nectarine skin fades into maple hair, and yet each feature begs ’stare at me!’. That’s all Lucas is able to do. </p><p>“I-Ahh-Ye—“ </p><p>“Well, I’ll see you next week. Bye.” Jaehyun gives him a small wave and walks out the door.</p><p>Lucas doesn’t, can’t move for at least half a minute. He blinks, and was the building always this grey and rough? He steps out in a daze and it’s no better, the first few drops of rain already plunking down straight onto Lucas’s scalp. Why’s the sky so dreary and depressing? He sits in his car for quite a while, only just registering that his soulmate has been playing music. </p><p>
  <em>Cause I’m a pilot anywhere<br/>
Cause I’m a pilot anywhere<br/>
Lighting star shooting star<br/>
I’ll give you my galaxy</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Ooooh, cool background dude, is that the Monet you were talking about?” </p><p>“Huh? Oh yeah, it’s 'The Seine Near Giverny’.” Lucas hastily replies, tearing his eyes away from his home screen. </p><p>“You ok man? You seem really distracted.” Mark gives Lucas a worried look and a pat on the back. </p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine, start a new game man!” He gestures to the screen, where Ness and Little Mac are still standing at attention. </p><p>Even now, Lucas can faintly hear Roy Kim’s crooning in his head. Ever since Lucas coughandMarkcough figured out the acrostic playlist, Lucas has noticed those songs looping again and again, without fail. His soulmate seems as desperate as Mark, and Lucas’s heart knots every time it loops back to the strum of the guitars in Jack’s Jam. </p><p>“Mark…What would you do if your soulmate did the thing mine did?” </p><p>Mark whips his head around so fast, Lucas almost screams. “Jesus man, don’t get whiplash because of me!” </p><p>“I would go through every facebook profile with ‘jung yoonoh’ in it.” He says very solemnly, staring Lucas dead in the eyes. </p><p>“Ok, but what if I don’t want to do that…” </p><p>Mark passive-aggressively shrugs. “I mean, since my soulmate doesn’t give a shit, I guess I just took a leaf out of Yoonoh’s book and wrote my name as an acrostic playlist-Hey! You should do the same thing! We can go into your liked songs and spell out ‘Lucas Wong’ with them!"</p><p>“Wait, if they’re my soulmate, I want to use my actual name.” </p><p>“Awwwww, how cute.” Mark coos, smirking. Lucas pokes Mark in the ribs for good measure. </p><p>Smash all forgotten, they go into his Spotify liked songs, and start from there. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>We Young - NCT DREAM </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obsession - EXO </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Now Or Never - Kendrick Lamar, Mary J Blige </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Good as Hell (feat. Ariana Grande) - Remix - Lizzo, Ariana Grande</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yeah Yeah Yeah - WayV </em>
</p><p>
  <em>UN Village - Baekhyun </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kung Fu Fighting - CeeLo Green and Jack Black </em>
</p><p>
  <em>How Am I Supposed to Live Without You - Michael Bolton </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Earth - Lil Dicky</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In My Blood - Shawn Mendes</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, you’re actually more of a koreaboo than I thought.” Mark snorts. </p><p>“Aww shut up, you have like, half of these songs on your playlists too ya know.” </p><p>Mark just sticks his tongue out and lobs Lucas’s phone back. </p><p>“Make sure to play it on repeat, and no shuffling!” </p><p>“Yeah Yeah I know~” Lucas checks his phone again and huffs, slowly getting up from the cozy nest that is Mark’s couch. </p><p>“I gotta go man, I’ve got an all-day shift tomorrow.” </p><p>Mark nods and, bless his heart, follows suit, standing up to walk Lucas to his car.</p><p>“It’s been raining really hard these past few weeks. You gonna be ok in this weather?” Mark asks, face scrunching up with worry. Lucas gives a non-committal shrug and opens the door, giving Mark a wave before making a break for his car. Even from a 10-meter dash, Lucas still ends up drenched, and he gloomily sits in the car for a few moments, brushing his mop of wet hair out of his eyes. He looks down at his newly created playlist. </p><p>“Well, here goes nothing.” He sighs, and hits play. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Puku puku pang pang, doot doot doot doot dang dang badum, badum-Oh ffffffrick!” Lucas’s grip on the duster loosens and it goes flying out of his hand. He cautiously looks around. No Seulgi? Phew. He goes to pick up the duster and finds a soft, rosy hand already on the duster, lifting it to give to Lucas. He looks up and finds himself looking directly into Jaehyun’s eyes. Not a good move for the heart. Is he still alive? Barely, but still breathing somehow. He meekly takes the duster from Jaehyun and they both slowly stand up. </p><p>“Hey.” Jaehyun greets. </p><p>“What’s up man?” </p><p>“Nothing much.” Lucas can’t help it, but his eyes immediately go to the field of freckles and blush across Jaehyun’s nose. It ripples and squirms while Jaehyun talks. </p><p>Jaehyun points to Lucas’s chest. “…Your name tag is kind of crooked.” </p><p>Lucas looks down and ‘kind of’ is being generous. The tag is almost at a 90-degree angle, and Lucas finally understands the look of utter disdain Seulgi shot at him when he walked out of the back office. He fumbles around, finally managing to unclasp the metal pin, but not without casualties. </p><p>“Ow!” The prick in his thumb is small, but drops of blood are starting to swell up and Lucas presses down, ignoring the small sting of pain. "Haha Jaehyun must think I’m such a real smooth guy now.” Lucas thinks dejectedly. </p><p>“Are you ok?” Jaehyun steps in a bit closer, and Lucas hurriedly nods. “I’ll fix your badge for you.” </p><p>Jaehyun takes the badge and leans into Lucas’s chest, trying to affix the badge properly. Lucas awkwardly turns his head to the side, and tries not to think about how Jaehyun smells exactly like he looks, like flowery fabric softener and milk and honey and a billion other things you’d find in a cottage. Jaehyun finishes with the badge and gives Lucas a tiny smile. </p><p>“…Thanks for that man.”</p><p>“Anytime.” Jaehyun busily adjusts his glasses and rubs at his flushed face. </p><p>They stand like that for a while, awkwardly and on the verge of saying something to the other, but too chicken to actually say it, until an old lady shuffles up behind them and asks where the large print nonfiction is. Jaehyun ducks out of whatever the hell he and Lucas were trying to do, and all of a sudden it’s just Lucas alone again with a slightly bleeding thumb and a slightly aching heart. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It’s not even very late when Lucas walks out the automatic doors of the library, but the overcast clouds and heavy rain are blocking out all the sunlight, the outside world menacingly dark to Lucas, who’s thanking God he drove today. He almost doesn’t notice the forlorn figure standing at the side of the door, until thunder and lightning strike and he hears a loud yelp. </p><p>“Holy shit! Jaehyun! What are you still doing here?” </p><p>“…I don’t know whether to run to my bus or just get an Uber.” He sighs, shivering in drenched clothes. The rain is relentless today, giant drops more akin to bucketfuls pouring out all over the street. Seulgi wasn’t lying when she said today’s rain was probably going to be the worst one yet. Lucas can barely see his car in the torrent. He can’t believe Jaehyun had the balls to even step out and try to walk to the bus stop. All of a sudden, an idea explodes into his brain, and he turns excitedly to Jaehyun. </p><p>“Dude! I’ll drive you home!” </p><p>Jaehyun looks at Lucas with surprised eyes, </p><p>“Oh, no it’s fine, you don’t have to…” Jaehyun says, but his tone is interested and he’s already walking closer to Lucas. </p><p>“It’s totally fine man! You’re gonna get drenched either way, and it’s not a problem for me at all!” </p><p>Jaehyun still looks unsure, so Lucas closes the gap between them and puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder. </p><p>“I’m 100% serious, it’ll be great! You can save money, and also not drown if you try and run to your stop.”</p><p>Jaehyun nods, albeit a little reluctantly, but he obediently sprints with Lucas to his car. After scrambling into the front seats, they lean back into them and breathe out a heavy sigh. </p><p>“I’ll get up Google Maps.” Jaehyun tries his best to dry his wet fingers before just giving up and pulling out his phone. </p><p>“Thanks man.” Lucas ignites the engine, making sure to blast the heating. </p><p>He plugs his phone into the aux, and presses on his most recently played, letting the twangy folk of Two Ton Shoe wash over him like the rain washing all over the car park. Lucas is mentally patting himself on the back for thinking to give Jaehyun a ride. He pulls out of the car park and onto the road, carefully following the directions Jaehyun is giving him. It’s not as awkward as Lucas thought it’d be, which is good, but aside from the instructions, Jaehyun doesn’t say a word. He seems a bit more intense than usual, like he’s paying a lot of attention to something. Lucas shrugs it off as nerves from being a first-time passenger in his car. Or the weather. The route to Jaehyun’s isn’t a long one, and by the time Kendrick Lamar is telling them to sit down and be humble, Lucas has already pulled up into the driveway of Jaehyun’s destination. He stops the car and turns to Jaehyun, but Jaehyun doesn’t move an inch. His eyebrows are furrowed together, hand kneading at his temple and teeth lightly biting at his lower lip. He’s the picture definition of concentration, and Lucas has no idea how to react, opting to nervously pick at his steering wheel. </p><p>“….Those were some really interesting songs.” </p><p>“Oh yeah, they're from this playlist I have…” Lucas nervously replies. </p><p>Jaehyun turns to face Lucas, with unreadable eyes and a very serious expression on his face. “May I see the playlist?” </p><p>Lucas slowly nods. He’s not sure why he feels so jittery, but he hands Jaehyun his phone anyway. “Aha, it’s called ’soulmate’, cause that’s what I keep hearing from them. My soulmate I mean.” </p><p>Jaehyun carefully takes the phone and stares at it for what feels like hours to Lucas. He tries to see if he can read anything from Jaehyun’s face, but those muscles just won’t budge. Lucas picks at his nails, feeling like a little kid who just handed something to their teacher to read and silently prays that Jaehyun stops being so weird soon. </p><p>“Is Lucas your real name?” </p><p>Lucas jolts, startled by the sudden question. “Wha-Yeah….Why wouldn’t it be?”</p><p>Jaehyun goes back to obsessively staring at Lucas’s phone and starts muttering in a low, inaudible voice. </p><p>“I mean… It’s not my birth name thoug-“</p><p>“What do you mean?” Jaehyun snaps his neck around, and Jeez Louiz, what is with everyone and trying to give themselves whiplash, Lucas thinks. </p><p>“…My birth name is Wong Yu-“</p><p>“Wong YukHei?” </p><p>Lucas’s jaw drops and he stares at Jaehyun, bug-eyed in disbelief. His mind races, trying to think of when and how Jaehyun would know that. Did he tell him when they first met? When Jaehyun was telling Lucas about his tag? Is Jaehyun actually a secret serial killer/stalker that’s gonna kill him right now? Lucas can’t believe he even thought of that last option and mentally apologises to Jaehyun. </p><p>“I-Jaehyun is-used to be my name.” Jaehyun says quietly, without looking up. </p><p>Lucas is now not so confident he should’ve ruled out the serial killer option. </p><p>“To this day, I still don’t know what my parents were thinking, giving me a placeholder name of all things. I got it legally changed a long time ago, but I still like the name Jaehyun and use it a lot.” Jaehyun gives a smile and a knowing look at Lucas’s phone, like it’s supposed to know something Lucas doesn’t. </p><p>“Aha, I get what you mean, but why you’re telling me this?”</p><p>Jaehyun quirks an eyebrow and Lucas tries to backtrack. “No, I mean, that was pretty interesting to learn and I’m glad you told me, but I’m not sure where all this is coming from, you know?-“ </p><p>Lucas pauses for a second. He feels like he’s stumbled onto something, like he just remembered something really important and it’s on the tip of his tongue. </p><p>“…You know…? You know???………. You knowwww….” Lucas slowly turns to Jaehyun, his eyes widening like they’re about to burst out of his head. He can’t believe this. Does the world really work like this? Is this how it's going to happen? Is fate really such a weirdo?</p><p>“……Yoo….noh….? Jung Yoonoh?” </p><p>Jaehyun (or should that be Yoonoh now?) gives Lucas his signature small smile, and nods. They both kind of sit there together in stunned silence, and try and process the fact that they have now met their soulmate. The person that is, apparently, their better half. The one on the other side of their red string of fate. The person that all the romantic movies and dramas and songs and books gush about. </p><p>Where are the fireworks? The streamers? Not even some pop rocks to slam on the ground? Some soulmate reveal this turned out to be. Lucas almost wants to laugh at the mundaneness of their situation. Not in a million years would Lucas have even guessed that he'd discover his soulmate by giving them a ride home from their workplace. </p><p>But even so… He turns to look at Jae-Yoonoh, and watches the newly freed rays of sunlight filter through his car window, blanketing Jung Yoonoh to reveal every one of his monet-like features. Lucas couldn’t lie anymore, he definitely liked what he saw. A lot.<br/>
</p><p>“…Lil’ Dicky though? Really?” Jaehyun deadpans, looking at Lucas exasperatedly. </p><p>“Hey, I like his music alright!” </p><p>“But he’s just so… not good.” </p><p>Lucas shakes his head in exaggerated disappointment. “And I thought we were doing so well with the ’not judging other people’s taste’ moral we learnt last week.” </p><p>At that, Jaehyun lets out a sweet, rich laugh and his expression softens. </p><p>"Do you have a record player or CD player or something like that?” </p><p>“…Yeah?” Lucas hesitantly replies, patting his car’s dashboard. </p><p>“Can you wait a bit? I’ll only be a moment.” Before Lucas can respond, Yoonoh steps out of Lucas’s car and runs inside his house. </p><p>Lucas is somehow still in a daze after all this. His first thought is how Mark is gonna flip out when he finds out that Lucas, who doesn’t even give two shits about the whole soulmate thing, has already found him. In the privacy of his car, he starts laughing like a mad man, still amazed at this turn of events. He still can't believe his soulmate was right under his nose, and so… Jaehyun/Yoonoh-y. </p><p>After his laughing fit, he steps out of the car, realising that the rain has finally cleared, and the sun is setting over suburbia, sending golden streaks across a pale pink sky. A rainbow arches across and Lucas idly traces the path, following with his eyes as it stretches over the horizon. The creak of a door opening snaps Lucas out of his daze, and he sees Yoonoh clutching something to his chest. Yoonoh stops in front of Lucas, and beckons him to hold his hand out. </p><p>“This is a special edition CD of ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’. Some of these tracks are deep cuts that aren’t on Spotify.” Yoonoh earnestly says, hazel eyes sparkling behind his round frames. </p><p>“Woah legit? Thanks, man! I had no idea there was stuff like this.” </p><p>“No problem, and yeah it’s pretty cool, right? I mean, seeing as we both like Kendrick's stuff." Yoonoh shyly adjusts his glasses. "You’re welcome to borrow it and give it back whenever we have a shift together.” Yoonoh looks back and forth between the CD and Lucas with something in his eyes that Lucas can’t quite figure out, and then Yoonoh starts to step back, walking back to his door. </p><p>At that point, Lucas just can’t stop himself. “You know, I’ll probably finish listening to it by tonight. I could probably return it earlier too. Like, maybe we could meet up tomorrow over coffee or lunch or something like that.” He rushes out the last of his sentence, but it looks like Yoonoh gets the message loud and clear. </p><p>Yoonoh turns back, beaming the brightest smile Lucas has ever seen in his life. The sun shimmers around Yoonoh, his deep hazel eyes crinkle with happiness, his beautiful, sickly field of freckles and blush all wrinkly with his smile. And that smile. Lucas is, in a word, devastated. It's one of the most breathtaking smiles Lucas has ever seen, He watches, mesmerised as Yoonoh’s cupid pink lips curl into his teeth as he shouts out a ‘Yeah’. No one’s playing anything, and yet, the music rings loudly in Lucas’s head. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Cause I’m a pilot anywhere<br/>
Cause I’m your pilot, by your side<br/>
I’ll pluck those stars<br/>
And give them to you, my galaxy</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Small snippet of their first date</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was for a prompt thingo so it's very abrupt as you can see lmao. a continuation of sorts, if you will</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lucas is sweating. It's going to be winter in less than 3 days and he's sweating like a sinner in church. He wipes his palms on the front of his jeans for what seems like the billionth time, heart ringing in his ears. He's really here. He's really on a date with Jaehyun. His soulmate. Lucas feels the cheeks of his face heat up just from thinking about it. He quickly checks himself in the glass yet again, straightening his denim jacket. Is it too much? Not enough? He feels like he's going to faint if he keeps thinking about it, so he shakes his head violently. </p>
<p>"What's wrong?" Jaehyun raises an eyebrow at Lucas, putting his milky soft hand into Lucas's own, and he swears he could die right now and he'd have no regrets. </p>
<p>"I'm just- Zoo Wee Mama! I still can't believe we're soulmates." </p>
<p>Jaehyun laughs his melodious laugh and Lucas grips his hand tighter. </p>
<p>"I can't believe you just said that aloud." </p>
<p>Lucas giggles along, high with giddiness. Jaehyun has a big red blush blooming across his face, highlighting his field of freckles and Lucas thinks he must be the luckiest guy in the whole entire world. </p>
<p>"Oh, right here, this is where the book should be." Jaehyun says, suddenly stopping. </p>
<p>It takes all of Lucas's effort to not topple over as he freezes in front of the wooden bookshelf. He waits patiently as Jaehyun walks up to the shelf, crinkling his cute little nose as he scans the endless rows and rows of grand and mysterious looking books. Jaehyun finally finds said book on the highest shelf. Lucas watches intently as Jaehyun stretches up to his tippy toes, trying to reach the book. He kind of wants to get a ladder or maybe a staff member to help, but there's no time for that, as Jaehyun unexpectedly loses his balance and starts to fall back. Without thinking, Lucas rushes over, standing right behind Jaehyun to stop his descent. Jaehyun backs up with a thud and Lucas places a steadying hand on the small of Jaehyun's back. </p>
<p>"Woah, you alright there dude?" </p>
<p>"Yeah, I'm good. God that shelf has no business being that high." Jaehyun laughs breathlessly. </p>
<p>"Yuh..." </p>
<p>Forgive Lucas for his oh so eloquent response, but he's, in a word, awestruck. He's never been this close to Jaehyun before and it's driving him insane. He eyes the red blush trail from his ears and nape down towards his shoulders, pink and cream mixing to create the sweetest color Lucas has ever seen. He slowly spins Jaehyun around to face him, scared that if he moves too fast the moment will be ruined. Jaehyun is only slightly shorter than Lucas, but he feels tiny like this, bundled in Lucas's arms like a warm blanket. Jaehyun's looking up at Lucas, eyes sparkling in the dim light of the bookstore and Lucas might as well be a moth, chasing that dazzling brightness. He leans in close, and Jaehyun leans in closer, and they meet square in the middle. </p>
<p>It's Christmas. It's Chinese New Year. It's Prom Night. It's Heaven. Lucas presses Jaehyun closer to him, plush lips melding into his own. Time seems to stand still for Lucas as all he can focus on is Jaehyun and his mouth and his waist and his hair and just, him. </p>
<p>They part just as slowly, air between them still and quiet for a few seconds. </p>
<p>"That was....Wow...." Jaehyun has the softest look on his face and Lucas already wants to kiss him again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i have like a quarter of an idea for a legit sequel, but we shall see.....</p>
<p>
  <a href="https://twitter.com/wrenlans">twt</a>
</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>LuJae nayshion rise!!!! Here on <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/wrenlans">twt</a> only rting other people's stuff because all my brain matter going into writing this 😅</p></blockquote></div></div>
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